What's not to love about a project inspired by Bach's rare but sacred use of the lute to denote literal blood drops and rainbows in his music? I have my longtime friend Kyle Dawkins to thank for a window into this (under)world, such things being a profound interest of mine. For his part, Kyle was additionally influenced by Hildegard von Bingen, Randy Rhoads, & heavy metal album intros (of course!), weaving a lyrical, highly idiosyncratic blend of classical and folk traditions into the mix. My approach was to highlight these melodic threads in an unobtrusive but dynamic way, adding polyrhythms, microtonality, & a healthy balance of surprise and restraint into the aural proceedings. I created the album cover collage after the first song was complete...I couldn't wait...and thus a visual cairn indicating the way fed the process in ensmallening circles. Kyle and I have a rich history as creative partners; I was delighted to release his album Conasauga in 2002 on the Solponticello label; and it's truly amazing to be breaking new ground with him so far into our future. Thank you as always for listening.
credits
released October 1, 2018
guitar & lute recorded by Kyle Dawkins on location
all else recorded, mixed, & mastered by Killick Hinds at H(i)nds(i)ght Studio, Athens GA 9.29-10.1.18
cover design by Killick Hinds (Luigi money photo by Jon Porter; emoji sequence by Kyle Dawkins)
One of my favorite albums ever! It beautifully captures the sound and spirit of where we live. I was honored to be the engineer for the session, and it is a highlight in my history as a record mogul. Killick